Poem
by Yukiko of the Snow
Summary: It's Levy's birthday and a certain dragon slayer wants to give her a good gift. But what can a dense metal head give a brainy girl like her. Maybe he could use a little help from the girls of Fairy Tail. One Shot


Hello! So for anyone who hasn't read the recent chapters of the manga, there has been some major development in the GaLe relationship. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. As a result, I needed to write a GaLe story!

Enjoy!

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><p>Poem<p>

Summary: It's Levy's birthday and a certain dragon slayer wants to give her a good gift. But what can a dense metal head give a brainy girl like her. Maybe he could use a little help from the girls of Fairy Tail.

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><p>"Shit" was all the iron dragon slayer could say as he finish eating the legs off the table.<p>

"Gajeel," his exceed said as he started eating the chair. "Is there something wrong?" Lily asked because Gajeel would always eat uncontrollably when there was something on his mind

"Why the hell do you want to know?" he snapped at the black cat.

"Because Master might be cross with you if you eat all the furniture again." Gajeel set the three legged chair down and sighed.

"She's what's wrong." He glared at the small blue hair mage sitting across the room with her nose in yet another book.

"Miss Levy? Have you gotten into a fight with Miss Levy again."

"No." he started eating a fork. "It's almost her birthday, and I got nothing to give her." He wouldn't deny that he was very close to Levy. More than the iron dragon slayer was willing to admit. But when it came to knowing her likes and dislikes, she may as well be a stranger. To make matter worse, he was competing with Jet and Droy. Both men were still hoping that they can win over Levy. And hell would freeze over before he loses out to a carrot top and a fat ass.

"You could always ask her." Lily suggested.

"And look like an ass because I don't know what she likes." He said as he started eating a spoon. "last thing I need is that shrimp to be mad at me again.

"Then you should ask one of her friends. I'm such if any knows what Miss Levy would like, it would be them."

"You know what Lily," Gajeel said as he finished the last of the silverware. "That not a bad idea."

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"Hey bunny girl!" Gajeel shouted to the Celestial Spirit Mage, who was on her way home. "I need to ask you something."

"Of course." Lucy said timidly. The only time Gajeel approached her was when he needed her as a prop for his singing performance. Nothing was more demeaning than being onstage in a bunny outfit.

"What you I get that bookworm?" he asked with a stern look on his face

"Why would do want to know that?" she said as she grinned. "Do you like her?"

"None of your damn business." The iron dragon slayer roared.

"Well, I guess you could get Levy-chan a book. After all, Levy loves books."

"Books. That's perfect."

"I can even help you pick out one that I know Levy would love, just like I did for Jet and Droy,"

"You did." Gajeel sighed. If he got Levy a book, it would look like he had just copied those two dumbasses. "You're useless." He said as he started walked away. Suddenly he stopped. "If you tell anyone we had this talk, I will break you in half like a twig."

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"You want to know what to get Levy for her birthday?" Cana said as she took another long drink from her barrel of booze.

"Yeah." Gajeel said. He must be pretty desperate to ask the local drinker for advice.

"Hmmmm." The brunette thought for a moment. "Well, in my personal experience, you can never go wrong with a great bottle of alcohol."

"Acohol." He stared at her with a blank expression. "Why the hell would I get her damn booze?"

"What woman wouldn't want a tasty drink for her birthday?"

"Women with a sense of decency." He muttered under his breathe, only to have an empty barrel smashing into his face seconds later.

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"Juvia is so happy you can to her for love advice, Gajeel-kun!" said the water mage as they both sat in her room. Gajeel hated being in the water woman's room. Bad enough that her walls were littered with pictures of that freaky stripper. But that was nothing compared to all the junk that looked like him that lay in every inch of this room. Even the bed sheet he was sitting on had his damn face it.

"It's not love advice!" Gajeel shouted in frustration. "I just want to know what to get Levy for her birthday! And who knows more about gift giving than you."

"Well, you can never go wrong with something home made." Juvia reached into her drawer and pulled out a blank doll figure. "Juvia suggest a homemade Levy doll. All you need is some orange fabric, blue yarn for the hair and maybe a ribbon. Juvia could even make it for you, since Gajeel-kun is not as nimble with a needle as Juvia is."

"how about something a little less creepy." A disturbed Gajeel said. If Levy were to see something like that, she would be so creeped out, she may never speak to him again.

"well," Juvia thought for a second. "you call always make her Levy bread or a Levy bento. Oh, or maybe a scarf with Levy's face all over it. Juvia has some leftover blue yarn from a Gray-sama doll Juvia just made."

"I want to get her a gift, not make her think I'm some weirdo!" he groaned as he got up. Even though Juvia had good intentions, there was no doubt about it that her ideas were borderline stalker. No wonder Fullbuster avoids her like the plague. "forget it, I figure something out myself." He said as he walked out the room

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"What to get Levy?" asked Mirajane as she cleaned a beer mug. Gajeel was uneasy talking to the white hair mage. Anyone who knew Mirajane even a little would be have known that there nothing that she enjoyed more than playing matchmaker for the guild. But he was running out of options. "well, I don't think that you should get her a book. Everyone will be getting her a book." She gave it a little more thought. "maybe you can play her a song. You are pretty good at it!"

"A song?" Gajeel said to himself. "maybe that might work."

"Oh yes!" she squealed as she jumped for joy. "I could set it up for you and everything! We can set the stage with hearts and ribbons! And you can play it in front of everyone in the guild! It will be so romantic!"

"Everyone?" the though of playing a song in front of the guild was bad enough. But to sing a love ballad to Levy in front of everyone was downright humiliating. He would never be able to face any of the guys again!

"I'll pass!" he stood up and walked out before Mirajane could reply.

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What am I going to do? Gajeel asked himself as he sat facedown at the Fairy Tail bar. He had less than 24 hours to find a present for Levy and he had no clue what to get that bookworm. He couldn't get her books because probably everyone was going to get her books. He couldn't make her something because that would be Juvia creepy. He wasn't about to take that damn Cana's advice and buy her beer. And he was sure as hell not going to perform in front of everyone. He felt that it would be much simpler just to forget about this whole thing and get her nothing. But as easy as it would be, he couldn't bring himself to do that. After all, Levy was the first person in Fairy Tail, aside from Master and Juvia, to ever trust him. Even after he had brutally attacked her and her friends. She was the first person to ever shed tears for his sake. And most importantly, she was the first person he was will to give up his life for. He cared too much for that shrimp to just ignore her birthday.

"Is something troubling you Gajeel?" Someone asked. Gajeel lifted his head to see Titania sitting next to him. She seemed to be enjoying her favorite dessert, strawberry shortcake. Gajeel sighed. He had asked every other girl in the guild. What harm would it cause asking Erza?

"You're a girl, right?" he asked as he sat up straight.

"Last I checked I am." She took another bite of her treat. "Why?"

"If you were to have any gift, what would it be?"

"I see." She said as she placed her fork down. She knew this had something to do with the solid script mage. "While gifts are nice, they are merely material possessions that don't mean much in the end." But then Erza smiled. "But nothing would mean more to me or any woman more than something that comes from the heart."

"From the heart?"

"Yes, Just a small jester to show you care about her. It doesn't have to be flashy or anything."

_Something to show I care_. Gajeel repeated to himself. That was a great idea. He could write her a letter about how he felt about her. No, he could write her a poem. Levy loves reading poetry. How many had she dragged him to some bookstore just to read poetry books? The best part was it would be one of a kind.

"thanks Titania" Gajeel said as he raced out the guild.

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There was two things the Pantherlily never thought he would live to see. One was the destruction of Extalia at the hands of the humans. And the other was to see Gajeel sitting at a table with a pencil in hand. Actually writing something down.

"Gajeel," Lily asked. "What are you up to now?"

"What does it look like?! I'm writing a poem for Levy!"

"Why?"

"Because this will mean more than any gift I can buy or make." He chewed on the eraser of the pencil. "What's a better rhyme for best? Chest or breast?"

"I guarantee you if you use either word, you will upset Miss Levy." The exceed frowned towards his partner. Surely Gajeel couldn't be that dumb either.

"Damn." He crushed the paper into a ball and hurled it across the room. "This is harder than I thought."

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Gajeel watched from a corner all day as Levy was constantly bombarded with gifts. Just as the bunny girl said, most of the guys got her books. Lucy have given Levy a blue dress that matched her hair. Juvia had baked Levy some bread. Cana gave her a bottle of booze, only to get scorned by the other moments later. Throughout it all, the girls he had talked to kept eying him. As if they were wondering when he was finally going to give Levy her gift.

_You're wasting your time._ He thought as he turned away. There was no way in hell he was going to give her the card in front of everyone. He needed to keep his dignity intact. He waited until Levy headed out the guild to follow her. He watched as the petite mage struggle to carry her book bag, which was weighted down with all those gifts she received while trying to carry the tray of bread. Without giving it another thought, he came up from the behind and grabbed the bag.

"You'll never get home like that," he said he and Lily walked towards Fairy Hills. "I'll carry these, shrimp."

"Thanks." Levy said as she blushed slightly. She honestly thought Gajeel didn't care about her. Throughout the party, she had looked towards Gajeel, waiting to see if she was going to give her anything. Or at least say happy birthday to her. But that would be out of character for him. The Gajeel she knew was never one to show emotions.

Gajeel tried hard to work up the nerve to give Levy the card, but the more he thought about it, the sillier it seem. She had gotten such great presents from everyone else. The poem he was so proud of now seem cheap and lame compared to the others.

"I appreciate the help." Levy said as they reached the dorms. Seeing that Gajeel wasn't going to act, the cat jumped up and reached into Gajeel's coat, pulling out the card.

"This is for you Miss Levy." He tossed the card her way.

"You little backstabbing traitor!" Gajeel dropped the bag and grabbed him by the throat. "I'll kill you!"

As he choked the poor cat, Levy opened the card and started to read.

_Roses are Red_

_Your hair is Blue_

_I'm happy you're not dead_

_I'm sure you are too_

_Metal is shiny _

_It's hard as hell_

_You're may be very tiny_

_But you're as tough as a shell_

_Birds fly in the sky_

_That's all I can say_

_I'm better than the other guys_

_And I wish you a happy Birthday_.

"Gajeel," Levy said. Seeing that Levy had read him poem, he dropped Lily to the floor.

"I'm sorry." He looked down. "I'm sorry I didn't get you something special." But Levy walked up the dragon slayer and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she smiled at him. "I love it. It's the best present I've ever gotten."

"Really?" Gajeel's faced was now a deep red.

"Yes." Levy held his hand. "Now come inside. I'm going to need help eating all this bread."

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><p>AN: For the record, I didn't come up with the poem. It was my little sister! I figured Gajeel would have the same writing skills as an 11 year old child.


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